The Hider
by aydenjett
Summary: Cat is fake, by any normal standards, meaning she's a liar, a fraud… just fake. She's a good actress, though. How else would she have gotten into Hollywood Arts? She is the most cheerful person you'll ever meet. But it's a lie.
1. She Hides

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show, the characters, or the song. But the plot and word arrangement's all mine.**

**A/N: So, I've been sitting on this story for about 3 months**. **I just heard the song again and it gave me the push I needed to start writing it. It'll be my first mutli-chapter fic, granted I've only got 3 chapters planned out. Two actually written. It'll move past the songfic part after this chapter. The song is "The Hider" by VersaEmerge.**

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><p>The Hider<p>

Cat is fake, by any normal standards, meaning she's a liar, a fraud, not real… just fake. She's good, though. No one can tell she's a fake. She's a good actress. How else would she have gotten into Hollywood Arts? She is the most cheerful, nonchalant, carefree, adorable, loving person you will ever meet. But it's a lie. She hasn't been that person since third grade. Why do you think she's so childish? No, Cat is a phenomenal actress. None of her 'closest' friends asked that annoying question; "are you okay?" Even Jade, her best friend, never caught her.

Okay, that's not exactly true. Cat would slip sometimes, just slightly. She would get that blank stare in her eyes when she thought about… it. She would lose that…spark that she faked so well. That was the only time Jade would ever ask if anything was wrong. But Cat would come to her senses and…BAM! Bring on the improv. She was good with improv, at thinking up random things on the spot. Some days, Cat loved her game. Other days, she just wanted to give it up and tell someone, anyone, that she was actually messed up, that she wasn't perfect. But she never did.

_My mouth has shut not to open up,  
>I've kept my back to them.<br>Those things they say blew my ears away,  
>I've stopped listening.<em>

The only part of her that she really liked was her shell. Everything else about her felt useless, unworthy. She hated herself, and when she finally told her parents _the _secret, they shunned her. They didn't love her anymore. Her father yelled, her mother cried. They were upset, mad, and even furious at her.

Despite her own unhappiness, or rather, because of it, she always loved making other people happy. It was the only bright thing she had. When people were sad, she'd empathize and immediately cheer them up with a luminous smile, a flip of her vibrant hair, a waggle of her eyebrows… Well, she was an actress after all.

_It's something new  
>you should try feeling<br>waking up on the other side.  
>These walls why do we need them?<br>I've hidden so well..._

She was a hider, always seeking refuge deep within herself when things were going badly. She hid behind that beautiful shell and would remember that that is exactly why she had it in the first place. She was relieved to have something to fall back on, but she always encouraged others to be open with their feelings. Ironic, no? To everyone else, it wasn't, because to them, she was sensitive little Cat who wore her heart on her sleeve.

That was one thing she hated, playing weak. She was strong as hell. Who else could have created another identity and lived it for years? One thing Cat desperately wanted, though, was to be her shell. She wanted to not have to deal with her inner turmoil. She wanted to be superficial.

_We're drawn to be what we wish to see,  
>you only half believe.<em>

Cat would look in the mirror every morning and literally put on her shell. With every article of carefully chosen clothing donned, every brush of make up, every swipe of eyeliner, every application of strawberry lip gloss, every tweak of a hair ribbon, she made herself someone else. The lie. She would do it and re-do it until _she_ half believed it, guaranteeing everyone else would.

_Now I have strayed, falling far away.  
>Let me clear my lungs show you everything I have done.<br>Gritting my teeth to perfection._

Despite how she normally appeared, Cat wasn't ignorant. She understood that she wasn't who she was supposed to be, who she should have been. She'd given up on finding that path a long time ago. She had always wondered what it would be like to tell someone, but she was never brave enough to let the _real_ Cat out of the bag. The only person she ever considered telling was Jade. It only seemed fair since Jade was the only one who had ever asked the annoying question and that ever cared what the answer was.

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><p><strong>AN: I've always thought there was more to Cat than just her happy, bubbly appearance, so I gave this a shot. It'll get to the Jade magic next chapter, I promise. I just needed build up. As I've stated, I have the next chapter written (and since there's actual story line, it'll be longer). All you need to do is review to get it. It's like bait for me. Like little wriggling worms on a hook. So tasty.**

**Anyway, review for further chapters. Or to just tell me I suck. Either way is fine :)**


	2. She Seeks

**A/N: Sorry for accidentally posting the same chap twice. Not exactly used to adding chapters yet. Anyways, here we see Cat's POV for the first time. This is also my first time writing her. Normally, I like Cat being ditsy, but as you saw by the last chapter, she's anything but in this fic. This chapter is also much longer than the last. There's only a tad bit of the songfic in this. You can see it if you squint.**

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><p><em><span>Cat's POV<span>_

'Today is the day,' I thought after spending an agonizingly long time mentally preparing myself in front of my mirror. 'I'm so done being like this.' I began to determine what I would do on the occasion that no one would actually care, like I expected.

"Hey, Jade?" Suddenly everything I had prepared wouldn't present itself in my brain. "I have something important to tell you."

"What, did they come out with a new flavor jelly bean?" She replied sarcastically, but without her usual venom.

"Oh, I wish! But no, it's much more important than that."

"Well, okay. Can it wait till after school?" She asked with a concerned look on her face. "We're about to be late and it sounds like a long conversation." I began fidgeting, but I'm not sure whether she noticed or not.

"Yeah, sure. That's fine." I said, putting on my 'Cat' face again.

The rest of the school day was… uneventful. The classes were boring and slow passing. The only class I ever had fun in was Sikowitz's class. He made everything interesting. I spent most of my free thinking time worrying about my future talk with Jade. I must have planned out my speech at least five times. I had perfected it by the end of the last period. After the bell rang, I waited by Jade's locker, mentally preparing myself as I had done that morning.

"Hey, there." Jade says as she comes up behind me. I took a deep breath and returned the greeting.

"So, where do you want to talk?" She asked.

"Well, I was thinking my house? My parents have a meeting with my brother's teacher for most of the night." I replied. I had intentionally made his homework grades awful so that this would happen.

"That sounds great. I'll drive us, come on." She said, beginning to walk away. When she saw that I hadn't begun following her, she turned around and grabbed me by the wrist, yanking me towards the double doors and the parking lot. The ride to my house was silent talking-wise, but she had had the CD in with our song on it, so we both sang our respective parts. It was fun while it lasted, but it made the silence afterwards more awkward.

When we got to my house, I let us in and directed her towards my room. My room reflects my shell more than it does me, though my true musical taste shines through in the shelf of CDs by my window. Jade took a seat on my bed, laying her bag down by the ruffles near the floor. I took another deep breath and she saw my tension.

"Come here," she said softly, taking my hand and pulling me until I was sitting next to her on my bed. "So, what was it you have to tell me?"

_"A fear of forgetting my face  
>because what you see is not me.<br>They twist my bones till  
>I'm gone... oh so gently."<em>

I sang the lines softly to the air, shaking as I finished.

"What do you mean, Cat?" Jade asked, confused.

"I mean that this," I gestured to my whole body, "is not me. I am not the Cat you think you know. She is an act that keeps me alive. I hide within her to make the pain go away." I sighed, having nothing more to elaborate on.

"Okay…" Jade seemed pretty surprised, but she kept calm at least. "What did the rest mean?" She asked.

"My parents… a long time ago, I showed them the real me, but they shunned me. They hate me for who I am and it's wasted me away into what you see here." I gestured again to myself, but this time more of _me_ was evident somehow.

"Wow. You're really serious, aren't you?" She asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah, I am, unfortunately." I said, sighing again.

"So… are you going to tell me what about your real self is so bad that even your parents hate you?" Jade asked with genuine curiosity and concern.

"I hate myself for it, too. It's not just them." I explained.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me. I know that sounds cliché, but I really mean it. I'm your best friend; I won't judge you." Jade replied, completely serious.

"Well, it started when I was much younger. I had…issues. My feelings started changing and I wasn't the same as all the other kids." I said looking at my feet.

"Hey, look at me." she said softly. I did. "Sometimes, being the same isn't a good thing. Different is okay. So, keep going." That gave me hope, so I continued.

"Okay, so I remember having a lot of best friends. I was a friendly person, kind of like the Cat you know. We would have sleepovers and I just… I don't know. I felt left out. I couldn't talk about the same things as them." I explained, having trouble doing justice to my experiences.

"What couldn't you talk about, Cat?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"I couldn't… I couldn't talk about b-boys… the way they did." I finally stuttered out. Realization flickered across Jade's face. I saw it, but I didn't comment.

"Why was that, Cat?" She asked knowingly. I decided to humor her.

"I didn't like them like they did. I mean, boys were my friends, but that was all." I stopped, not knowing whether to keep going or not.

"Continue." she pressed.

"Okay. Well one day, when I was around thirteen years old, I told my parents that I didn't like boys… Then they told me that they didn't believe me and would make sure I loved a boy. I was set up on so many blind dates. I can't even remember half of them. But I do remember they would always kiss me goodnight and I hated it. Like really, _hated_ it. I never told my parents that, though. They would have killed me." I paused again, letting everything sink in. I was about to speak again when Jade pulled me into a tight hug. Everyone knows Jade doesn't do hugs, so I was shocked, but she just stroked my hair and patted my back, shushing me, telling me it was okay. That pushed me over the edge and I started crying. I let go of what I was holding back and just cried into her shoulder. She was comforting me as much as she could with her inexperience and that meant the world to me. Once I calmed down, I finally let go and told her I wasn't finished.

"Okay, I just knew you needed that. You can go ahead and finish now." she told me.

"Thank you. Okay, where was I…"

"Blind dates." she offered.

"Oh, right. Well, I did my best not to disappoint my parents, but after a while I realized that no matter what I did, they would always remember what I had told them. So I gave up on them, on being happy. So, I acted. I acted for years until I was flawless. I got into Hollywood Arts on my own; my parents didn't help. They told me they thought this place was a breeding ground for "people like me," which made me mad, so I applied out of spite. With my acting and singing, I got in. Then I met you and the others and I found my home. I could never show myself, though, because I had been acting way too long. And I was scared the same thing would happen with you guys." I finished a little out of breath. She looked at me for a moment. Just studying me. I guess she was trying to figure out how she didn't see this before. She had been my best friend for going on three years. But she didn't understand; I was a _really _good actress.

"Cat… I'm going to say this once. So listen." I nodded "You will _never_ have to worry about losing me because of who you are, okay?" Jade looked at me again, waiting for an answer, but my jaw was too busy being around my feet.

"Uh…" I said stupidly.

"Cat! Did you hear me?"

"Um, yeah." I said, shaking my head a bit to gather my thoughts. "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Deadly. Also, you can be yourself around everyone else now, as well. Your friends won't judge you. And I'll make sure, personally, that anyone who says _a word_ against you will never speak _a word _again. Do you understand?" My heart was threatening to explode, so to keep it in, I threw my arms around her neck and hugged Jade tighter than I've hugged anyone in my entire life. She was kind of taken aback, like I was before. She eventually hugged me back, a little stiffly, but still. When we let go, she gave me a meaningful look, told me she'd see me tomorrow, then grabbed her keys and left.

Two hugs in one day from Jade West. The world was ending.

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><p><strong>AN: HI. So, again, this is my first time writing Cat, so if you have any suggestions... KEEP THEM TO YOURSELVES! No, just kidding. Let me know what you think, for real. I wanna know. I also have the third chapter written, if that's any incentive to review. I'll work on writing the fourth one tonight. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with this, but I have some major events planned out. Oh, and tell me if you liked the Cade friendship fluff. I thought it was cute. But that was probably because I wrote it... Anyways, just to confirm, this will end up in a Cade togetherness. So, don't worry :) **

**REVIEW!**


	3. She Thinks

**A/N: I didn't get as many reviews as I had hoped for, so this one is for those who did review. It's a tad shorter than the last one, but it's building up the plot. Chapter 4 is halfway done and it has some more backdrop revelations, so if you have questions, wait till after that chapter is posted. Please review, or I might stop writing and end it sooner. Enjoy the fluff :)**

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><p>The next day I walked in to school feeling different. I felt…free. I didn't have to hide anymore. I was happy. I never remembered feeling happy before, not like this. And it was all thanks to Jade. I knew she was the perfect person to tell. She reacted better than I could ever bear to hope for. She sympathized with me. For a moment, I thought I picked up on some empathy, but that was probably just because she has awful parents, as well.<p>

When I turned the corner to my locker, I saw Jade leaning with her eyes closed against the one to the left of it, her iPod in her ears, holding her coffee. I smiled widely and my stride lengthened automatically, trying to carry me to her faster. She opened her eyes and jerked up when my locker accidentally slammed against the one next to it, making a loud clang.

"Were you asleep?" I asked with a smile tugging at my lips.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She defended. I giggled.

"You'll have to teach me sometime." I said matter-of-factly.

"Teach you what?" She asked confused.

"How to sleep standing up." I smirked.

"Are you…smirking?" she replied with shock on her face.

"Uh… I guess I was… I learned it from you." I answered.

"Oh, well you spend so much time with me, I shouldn't be surprised. I guess it's a little hard to get used to you actually being intelligent." She said as we began walking to our first class.

"Hey! I wasn't that stupid!" I huffed.

"Cat. You were stupid." She stated.

"No I was not. Airheaded, sure, but not stupid. I passes my classes! I even got mostly B's!" I started getting defensive.

"Okay, okay. Fine. You were airheaded. At least you could pull it off." She said.

"I did?"

"Yeah, it was cute, even." she said "But, this is my class. I've got to go before I'm late. Again." She walked away, into the classroom, leaving me stuck outside it. '_She thought I was cute? But that was as an airhead. I'm not really like that, usually. She probably thinks of me as an equal now, which is kind of satisfying.'_

After our first three periods passed, we met at Festus' trailer shack thing.

"Hey, Cat." Jade greeted, slipping in front of the three people behind me in line, all of whom chorused their disapproval before being cut off by a glare.

"Hi." I replied simply. She looked as if she was debating something in her head. "What's on your mind?" I asked, concerned.

"Well… I've been thinking all through my classes if I should call you something else."

"I'm not following you." I said, giving her a confused look.

"You've been Cat because it fit your personality. But… that wasn't really you. So, I was wondering if you'd like to be called something different, like your full name." She looked at me with genuine curiosity, something that only morbid things usually elicited out of her.

"Please. If you ever call me…" I lowered my voice, "_Caterina_, then I will never speak to you again." I began to giggle. Never speaking to Jade again? That was ridiculous.

"Oh." She said simply, making an 'O' with her mouth.

"You're worried." I stated.

"No, I'm not."

"Oh… I know what it is. You're afraid you don't know anything about me, aren't you?" I asked, already knowing I was right.

"Well, maybe." She said, defeated.

"Trust me, Jade. I'm the same person, really. I'm just slightly more intelligent, and less childlike than the Cat you knew. I have all the same interests, I promise." She didn't seem convinced, so I shared a secret. "I even like Disney movies." Her face lit up like I've never seen.

"Really? So, I didn't lose my best friend?" She asked, seemingly frightened of my answer.

"Not at all. In fact, think of it like you've gained a whole new one. One that can actually hold a conversation with you, and not go off on a tangent about unicorns…" I trailed off and she laughed as we took our seats. She had led us to a table we'd never sat at before. I barely got the question out before she said it was so we could talk privately. It was quiet for a moment before I decided to speak.

"By the way, I still like ice cream… a lot, actually." I said, hoping to cheer her up more. It seemed to work because she laughed.

"Well, then. We are going out for ice cream after school." She stated.

"Way to not ask me." I joked.

"Fine. Would you like to go out with me after school?" Jade asked casually, but then she realized what she'd left out. "For the ice cream." I saw a red tint to her cheeks as she looked away. Jade was actually _blushing_. I couldn't believe it. She was embarrassed. Granted, I was embarrassed too, but still. That was interesting… I decided to go with it.

"It's a date." I replied coolly. Her eyes flashed to mine then dropped to her salad. I had seen a bit of something in her eyes for the second they had held mine.

"Okay." Her voice was bold again, back to normal. For once, I was excited for the school day to end.

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><p><strong>AN: Yoo, let me know how you liked it! I'm trying to keep the Cade plot under wraps for the time being. I hope to have it BURST out at you when you least expect it. Kind of like a stalking tiger... Except I don't think it'll eat you. If it does, I'll take that as your review and you can move on :) Seriously, review for my wellbeing. It would make me more likely to write the chapter 5 tonight! Thank you ahead of time, 'cause I know you're going to go do it. Like right now. **


	4. She Freaks

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, but I just got a Mac for college... and it's amazing :) I'm really absorbed with messing with things. Like I got this VirtualDJ app and I can morph singers voices. Like I made Taylor Swift sound like a dude in "You Belong With Me." It's fantastic. But enough about me. I like this chapter, but it isn't the huge one you might have been expecting. It's a lot of character development and build up. The next chapter will be _it_, though. Enjoy :)**

**A/N 2: This is also for the reviewer that said Jade seemed too happy. EXPLANATION! I was working up to this :)**

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><p>I met Jade by her Mercedes after school. Yet again, she was waiting for me, leaning against the car with her coffee in hand. 'Where does this girl get her coffee?' I thought to myself, smiling. As I walked up we didn't say anything, she just opened her door and tossed her shoulder bag into the backseat, motioning for me to do likewise. After I did, she twirled her finger towards the passenger side, but I didn't catch it, so I just climbed in through the driver's side. Once I got situated she gave me a weird look, almost leering, with her pierced eyebrow raised and her lips in a small smile.<p>

"You're still 'Strange Cat,' I see." She comments.

"Told you so." I said tauntingly, sticking my tongue out in the process. She laughed. Woah. Jade laughed? This was getting stranger by the minute.

"Jade, are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"Of course," she answered, "why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You seem…happier than usual. Normally there's something wrong when that happens." I said truthfully.

"Well, I am happier than usual. I'm about to eat ice cream with my best friend. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"I know it's been almost a year, but I've never seen you this happy without Beck." I said, fearful of bringing up the subject, but I had to know what was going on with her.

"It has been a year. And I'm happy for him… not for Vega, but for him. I've realized that I need to let it go to be happy again, so I did and I am." She said with a smile. I believed her.

"Hmm. I wonder where you came up with that idea?" I asked teasingly.

"Therapy." She deadpanned. After a moment we busted out laughing and that led to a comfortable silence.

We listened to all sorts of music. Strange music that she had on her iPod, and after a while I changed to the playlist entitled "Cat." She looked at me funny, but didn't say anything. It was like she was analyzing me. Once she looked back at the road, I did the same, analyzing her. For the first time in a long while, I noticed that Jade wasn't the same person she used to be. Just as I had changed, so had she, but quite a bit less dramatically. She wore her hair brown again, instead of black, and had a light blue streak in it, the only light color to have ever graced her locks. She also wore a little less black. Granted, red was just about the only other color she wore, but there was more of it, and even a little white thrown in every once in a while. Normally it was her shoelaces, but I can't pick and choose, especially when I want her to be less angry. I was suddenly jerked out of my thoughts when she spoke.

"What are you thinking about, Cat?" She asked softly.

"You." She turned to look at me briefly.

"And why would that be?" she asked, amused.

"Because I… I don't know, actually." I replied, confused at myself. Why had I been thinking about Jade, again?

"Well, that's not weird at all." She commented slowly.

"But, it _must_ be because you have amazing talent, good looks, and charm." I gushed like an excited fangirl. She blushed and muttered a 'thank you' before falling silent again. I blanched. Jade had blushed twice in one day and (begrudgingly) said thank you on account of me? Something was up. And I was determined to find out.

Once we got to the ice cream parlour, Jade turned her car off and we sat in silence for a moment. This was awkward silence, as opposed to earlier. Jade looked as absorbed with her thoughts as I was. Mine were about her though… wait, did that mean she was thinking about me, as well? 'No. I doubt it.' I decided to break the quiet.

"My turn. What are you thinking about?" I returned her earlier concern.

"I… It's nothing. Let's go." She rushed to undo her seatbelt and reached for the door, but I locked it before she pulled the handle. She unlocked it and we ended up playing a battle of wills, or rather automatic door-opening buttons, until she gave up.

"What!" she huffed, throwing her hands in the air.

"We're not leaving until you tell me what's up." I said sternly. She didn't need to get an attitude with me; I was just worried.

"Fine. But can we talk inside?" She asked.

"Yes, but only because I'm getting tired, and jealous, of the new car smell." I unlocked the car. "Shall we?"

"Yeah, whatever." 'And she's back!' I thought. So much for a 'new' Jade.

We walk inside and she was sporting a very defensive posture; arms crossed tight across her chest, brow furrowed down, mouth set in a frown. I asked her what she wanted, but she didn't give me a reply, so I ordered what we always got. As I waited for our order to be filled, I turned around and leaned my back against the counter. I searched for whatever table Jade had decided was ours and found her in the back. From what I could see, she was leaning heavily on her elbows, her chin resting in her hands, staring off into space. She looked so… uneasy, but so beautiful at the same time. The light caught perfectly on her pale skin and bright eyes. Even her piercings reflected the light. Then I remembered her grimace and it was kind of frightening. Jade never got nervous. That's when I started to freak out about what she had to say. There was something _really_ strange going on. I quickly did a tally in my brain. 'She's hugged me twice, blushed twice, asked me to ice cream, talked about her feelings, laughed with me (not at me), and said thank you...'

"You're on your… monthly, aren't you?" I asked as I sat down with our ice cream.

"What? No!" She said, flustered.

"Damn. I was so sure. It explains the way you've been acting…you know, all emotional and stuff." I trailed off, picking up the saltshaker and pouring some on the table.

"No, that's not it, Cat. But I think it does have something to do with… hormones." She winced as she said it.

"Oh. Hormones. Okay." I began to pick up the salt with the end of my finger and put it to my tongue.

"Yeah. That's what I've got to talk to you about." She said, "And stop that!" Jade spat with more force than necessary. I didn't understand and just blinked at her. She had never spoken to me like that. Instead of getting angry with her, I decided to take the high road. I tried to take her hand, but she yanked it away as if burned.

"Jade, honey, what is going on with you? Earlier you seemed fine…" I whispered softly, hoping to calm her down. It did the opposite.

"_Don't_ speak to me like there's something wrong with me. I get enough of that from my therapist." She focused her emerald eyes on me for a few seconds and then stormed off into the bathroom. I saw something behind the anger, that something I'd been seeing since I told her about me.

_Fear_.

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><p><strong>AN: So, if you hate me for leaving you hanging, I don't blame you. I hate me too. I like _have_ to go finish write the rest of this conversation right now. *goes to write it* I'm back! Anyways, what was I saying? Oh, right. REVIEW or I'll eat you. Okay, so maybe you're a bit sinew-y, but I'll get over the texture. Seriously, though, I need reviews to live. I mean, how hard is it to hit that review button? It's like a few centimeters below this! Come on! The review can be like one or two words. "Love it" or "Hate you." I'll take either.**


	5. She Speaks

**A/N: So I'm totally starting to love this story myself. The characters just reveal themselves and it's a spectacular journey. I swear, I don't even plan this mess and it's probably obvious. I mean, I planned for a talk, but not anything like this. It seriously just played out like a DVD in my head and I just wrote down the details as I watch. If this is how all writers feel, then I'm so totally going to be a professional one. But... then I'd feel sad about leaving my tigers defenseless. Anyways, enjoy :) This one is for xHeSaidSheSaidx and your long review.**

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><p>I took a minute before following her, figuring she would want some time to herself in case she wanted to cry or something. I knew she wouldn't want me to see that. She's really defensive about showing her emotions and I should have realized that since she had been emotional, she'd close up soon. I picked up both of our ice creams and walked slowly and deliberately towards the bathroom. I had to have a plan. She wasn't just going to talk to me. But, maybe she would… if I just sat there?<p>

When I opened the bathroom door, she wasn't in sight, so I called out to her.

"Jade, honey, where are you?" I heard a sniff so I bent down and looked under the stalls. She ended up being in the far side of the bathroom, in the handicap stall. I walked up to the stall and realized it was locked. I sighed.

"Jade, if you don't open this door, I'm just going to slide underneath it. Then I'll be all gross and slimy. Then I'll hug you and you'll be all gross and slimy." I explained, trying to reason with her. There was another moment of silence and just when I was about to bend down to crawl, she unlocked the door. I pushed it open and watched her slide back down in her position on the floor, her back to the wall and her knees to her chest. I locked the door and decided to join her, despite not wanting to get dirty.

"Here's your ice cream." I said, setting the cup on the ground between us. She glanced at it then put her head down on her knees. 'This is going to be a long day,' I thought. I tried to reach out and rub her back, or hold her hand, just some kind of contact, but she pulled away again. It wasn't quite as forcefully as before, so I took that as a good sign.

"Jade I know whatever you were thinking about must have been hard to think about, let alone say, so I'll wait. Okay? I'll sit here on this incredibly nasty public bathroom floor and eat ice cream with you until you're ready to tell me." I said soothingly, resisting the urge to reach out to her again. That made her look up again and she stared me down. Not in a mean way, but it was like she was testing me to see how long I could look at her. I held her gaze calmly, and after guessing what she was doing, I said, "I meant it, Jade." She just _broke_. She fell to her left, onto me, and began to cry. I had never in my life seen her cry; it was as heartbreaking as I could have ever imagined. She didn't sob or make any sounds, but with her head pretty much in my lap I saw the tears making flesh toned paths through her light make up, some taking a little of the black mascara with them.

"Does this mean I can touch you again?" I asked almost sarcastically. She began to cry harder, but didn't say no. I took that as a yes, so I gently patted her hair and ran my fingers through her blue streak. That apparently was the trick because she began to calm.

"Cat…" She began, taking heaving breaths and shudders as she came down from her crying high. I stroked her hair again and shushed her.

"You don't have to talk yet. I said I'd sit here all day, didn't I?" She gave a horizontal nod, "And I plan to keep my promise. So, talk when you're ready. Till then, we have melting ice cream to take care of." With that, I reached over to pick up her ice cream and promptly began to spoon it into her mouth. She obliged, surprisingly, so I kept it up until there was none left. And she acts like she doesn't love ice cream. My ass. I set the container back down on the ground and she asked,

"Why are you so nice to me?" She seemed genuinely confused. I laughed a little, but didn't answer. "I'm serious, Cat. I was so mean to you out there, then you come in here, sit with me on a disgusting bathroom floor, hold me while I…cry, and feed me ice cream. Who are you?"

"I'm your best friend, Jade. Best friends realize when they're other half is hurting and goes with it even if it hurts them, too. You got something serious to show or tell me, so I obviously will wait. Oh, and if it was in question at all, I will still love you no matter what you tell me." I said sternly. She needed to understand this; I could tell. She's got issues with insecurity and that makes her how she is, but I was certainly not going to say anything about that then. She got tears in her eyes again, but I took a finger and wiped them away before they could fall, then she turned her head the other way. I swore I could see her blushing yet _again_.

"Jade, what's wrong with you?" I asked sincerely.

"I'm embarrassed for you to see me cry." She replied automatically.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it." I gave her a pointed look.

"I know." She hung her head for a moment, and then looked back up. "If I tell you, will you promise not to react in any way until I'm finished?" I knew the normal procedure for secret-telling, so I replied "Cross my heart and hope to die," complete with motions.

"Okay… Where to begin…" she trailed off.

"The beginning?" I offered.

"Not funny, Cat." She shot a glare my way before going back to thinking.

"I'm being completely serious. Start where it began."

"Fine. So…" She paused, "Damn, this is going to be weird." She said, frustrated.

"Look, Jade, I'm not going to be freaked, or weirded out, I promise. I mean, hello? Remember the whole, 'I'm not me' thing? Yeah, you can't get much weirder than that."

"True… but speaking of, that's sort of when things got put in motion." My mind blanched, but my face remained cool as ever. 'Was it something I had done?' I panicked.

"And before you ask, it wasn't any of your doing. Anyway, yeah, so after you told me about you, I obviously took up for you 'cause you're my best friend." She shot me a small smile before continuing, "I got home and started thinking; my thoughts were almost completely about you, as they have been since that day. So, that's your answer to that question, but I know you'll have more. Let me resume." I nodded and she did so. "Your next question is hard to answer. 'Why?' is always a hard question to answer. Besides the obvious 'oh, wow... is that even my friend?'" she shot me an apologetic look that I dismissed with a hand wave, "I was just thinking about you in general and why I would protect you. Then I got on the paradigm of what I like about you."

"Good word, by the way." I interjected. She seemed surprised that I knew what it meant. "Actually smart, remember?"

"Oh, right. Now where was I?"

"What you like about me." I flashed a grin at her, which she tried to return, but had difficulty.

"I realized I like everything about you, Cat, from the outside to the inside. You are gorgeous to the point of making me jealous. You're tiny, but intimidating, even to me. Your red hair? I loved it before you told me, but now it seems to make more sense and I still love it. Your voice talent makes me want to gag with envy and it's probably the only thing I've ever admitted is better than me. On the inside, though, Cat? You're more beautiful than you could ever be on the outside. Even when you were acting happy, but weren't, you always kept other people's happiness above your own. Including mine. You're love of animals, though sickening, can be seen as an extraordinary thing to someone like myself, who does not love animals. Then we get to in here. You are willing to sit with me until I feel better in a germtastic public restroom and feed me ice cream while I cry. That is the most kindness anyone has ever shown me in my entire life." I was fully in tears by then, but she just _had_ to keep going. "And… I love you for it. I love you for being you, even if it means getting picked on, you're brave enough to stand for what you believe. I wish I were that strong. I'm just a coward." She finished with her head down towards the ground again.

"Jade, look at me." When she didn't I took initiative and hooked a finger under her chin. "Now listen, being afraid does not make you a coward." I told her calmly, but she looked like she was about to explode. Which she did. She burst up from her spot on the floor, kicking her empty ice cream container as she went. She ended up all the way across the stall with her forehead resting against the door. I didn't say anything, giving her a moment to compose herself. When she spun around and faced me, I honestly expected yelling, screaming, kicking, but not at all what she said next.

"It does when I can't even tell you I'm in love with you." She whispered. From my spot on the floor, I jerked my eyes up to her emerald ones and found something different behind the anger; she was no longer afraid.

She was brave.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm not sure why I love leaving you guys with cliffies. It might be because it provokes you review and tell me you hate me, which is totally fine. If you're mad, just remember I gave you like the most important part of the story. Also, I'm kind of obsessed with where this is going, as well, so I have more incentive to write. But, as always, reviews are the bread of life for a writer. So click that button two centimeters below this message (yes I measured). Do it now. Thanks :)**


	6. She Breathes

**A/N: Okay, so a lot of you were begging for an update, and since I've been on that end, I decided to give it to you. Paper for college? Screw you, I have readers to fulfill. Enjoy the sheer hilarity of the situation. Oh, and don't forget to thank the characters in my head, or this wouldn't have happened so soon.**

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><p>As soon as I heard what she said, I reached for my ice cream that had somehow been untouched till now and began to eat it. Shovel it, might be a more apt description, but whatever. I was wigging out. I just sat there, wide eyed, eating my ice cream, trying to think of what to say. I mean, obviously she's beautiful, talented, creative, and protective, which is all that I look for in a girl, but Jade? <em>My <em>Jade? I wasn't so sure. She's my best friend and I didn't want to mess it up. Of course, there's the counter-argument that 'if it _wasn't_ a mistake, if it _was_ meant to be, what would you do if you lost that chance?' and all that jazz. Either way, I was getting close to finishing my ice cream 'Why do I have to have such a big mouth!' I thought frustrated. I needed more time to think! 'Well, you could tell her that.' My subconscious told me. Oh. I felt stupid.

Jade had just been watching me the whole time. She was smart enough to know what I was doing. I was buying time to think before either of us said anything. Once I swallowed the rest of my ice cream, and the huge lump in my throat, Jade decided to speak first.

"You done?" she deadpanned. I nodded a little ashamed that I had just eaten an entire cup of ice cream in under a minute. But then my head felt like someone was banging a bass drum inside and I had to grip the bridge of my nose to keep from crying out. Jade dropped down beside me in an instant, just holding my shoulders. I would describe it as a hug, but with Jade, nothing's ever that simple. She gently took the hand holding my face and stroked my brow with her thumb to relieve the pressure of my facial muscles. It still hurt, though, so I whined a little.

"Shhh… It's okay. You're so pretty, Cat; you should never frown. Ever." She cooed, trying to make me feel better. And, actually? It kind of worked. I relaxed a bit and she used her free hand to turn frown into a smile. At that, I really smiled. It was small, mind you, 'cause I was still in pain, but it was a smile. She realized this and smiled back, still clutching my left hand. We sat in silence again, but this time it was comfortable. We were just waiting for my headache to go away. I finally spoke up after what seemed like an eternity.

"Jade?"

"Yes, Cat?" she sounded so ashamed and guilty that it broke my heart all over again.

"What if some handicapped person needs to use the bathroom? We're kinda taking up their space."

"You're right. Would you like to go home, now?" She asked.

"No. But, I do want to leave." I made sure she understood the difference and she looked at me again, her eyes boring into mine. She didn't say anything for what felt like hours, and then she finally said,

"Very well. Let's get out of here." Her voice was a mixture of delight and frustration, which confused me. She took our cartons and spoons and threw them into the bathroom trashcan. They almost didn't fit in it with all the paper towels stuffed to the surface. We exited the bathroom and then the parlour and she was still hanging on to me. I couldn't tell if it was because she wanted to or because she thought I needed it.

Once we made it to her Mercedes, I didn't know what to do. There was more silence even though I thought we'd broken that back in the bathroom.

"Put on your seatbelt." She half ordered as she started to pull out of the parking lot. I did as I was told, but finally began _the_ talk.

"So… How long?" I asked, hoping to God that I didn't need to clarify.

"I don't honestly know." She replied and the look of shame was back on her face. "I know I…sort of figured it out the other day, but it's been a long while before then, I guess." She ran a hand through her hair, nervously. I didn't understand why she was so edgy till it hit me like a ton of bricks. It was almost like I forgot, but it was painfully obvious. We were both lesbians, best friends and, apparently, she's in love with me. That's bound to cause some issues.

"Oh."

"Yeah, tell me about it." She huffed, breathless.

"No, _you_ tell me about it." I emphasized.

"What?"

"Everything, all of it, tell me." She looked slightly confused, but I saw realization break across her face and she nodded.

"Um.. I would, but I pretty much told you everything back there." She jerked her thumb towards the rear of the car.

"Tell me anyway." I pushed.

"You want to hear it again?"

"Yes."

"It was hard enough the first time… but alright." She visibly collected herself then began her rant again. I tried to hang on every single word, but I couldn't help but just notice _her_. The sun was just barely peeking over the tree line and was hitting her the left side of Jade's face. I couldn't see it most of the time she was talking, but I would catch the orange and yellow light flickering when she'd glance over at me. It was mesmerizing. She stopped talking then and the only way I noticed was because she looked at me longer than she should have, being the one driving and all.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" She asked, looking back at the road.

"Umm. Yes?" I half-asked, my eyebrows knitting up in the middle.

"Cat! You're the one that asked me to say it all again!" She said exasperated.

"I'm sorry!" I said in a very 'old Cat' fashion.

"Why didn't you pay attention? I know you aren't the Cat that gets distracted every two seconds. You listened the first time. With rapt attention, I might add." Jade was starting to get angry. So I just told her the truth.

"I was watching you talk." I said in a quiet voice. She seemed to soften at this.

"Care to explain why?"

"'Cause it was really pretty, the way the light hit your face… and I'm sounding stupid again, aren't I?" I dropped my head into my hands before I felt one of hers take them and peel them from my face.

"You think I'm pretty, Cat?"

"I think you're beautiful." Then it was her turn to get all humble.

"I'm not all that." She mumbled, embarrassed.

"Yes you are. I couldn't look away." She full on blushed at that, then the old Jade was back.

"Damn it, Cat. How many times are you going to make me blush in one day? I seriously thought it was impossible for me to blush, but that's got to be at least number six for just today. What do you do to me?" she was exasperated again, but it was cute 'cause she didn't understand.

"I make you happy, Jade. That's what I do." I smiled one of my biggest smiles when she looked over at me. "And you make me happy, too, it's just less noticeable because I blush a lot." She let out a breathless laugh at that.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." She glanced down at our hands that were still intertwined and then smiled and shook her head. Then, yet again, silence enveloped us as the moon began to rise.

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><p><strong>AN: No cliffy! Yay! I tried this time, okay? It was close and I almost did it, but I love you guys and I don't want you to hate me for my cliffies. Please review! As you've borne witness to today, reviewing really does make me work faster. Proven fact. Anyways, I want to go pet my kitty, so good day to you all. Thanks for reading :)**


	7. She Beats

**A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write. Like I love it. This movie in my head totally makes me wanna get popcorn. In this chapter, we meet Cat's mom. She's the first non Cat&Jade character we actually hear speak. I figured it was about time to end the awkward silences and bring in the awkward conversations. And, that's basically what this chapter is. It's also very cute, so if you feel the need to hug and squeeze it, let me know :) P.S. I've totally just written half of the next chapter in my head.**

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><p>We finally arrived at my house and I wasn't ready to go in yet. I loved talking to Jade. It was a relief to be able to have normal conversations. We had mostly discussed music and listened to the radio. I gave her a shy look, unlocked the door and started to get out, but she grabbed ahold of my sweater.<p>

"Wait." She said, the expression on her face undecided. I hesitated a moment.

"Jade, would you like to come in?" She seemed surprised, but she nodded anyway. We walked to the door in comfortable silence.

"There you are, Cat! Oh, hello, Jade. How are you?" My mom's greeting changed when she saw Jade with me.

"I'm just fine, Mrs. V." Jade's face looked pleasant, but her eyes said otherwise. They looked almost viscous.

"That's great, honey." She turned to me. "Cat, do you have any homework?"

"No, mommy." I told her with the utmost politeness.

"Okay. Jade, are you staying?"

"If that's okay, ma'am." This time her voice was trembling, but only slightly.

"That's fine, sweetie. Y'all can go on up to Cat's room. I'll call y'all when dinner's ready." It was sickening, the way she acted like she loved me. We began to walk up the stairs to my room. Jade put her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it, understanding how I felt.

"God, that _bitch_." She whispered as I shut and locked the door.

"Tell me about it. She's only being nice 'cause you're here. Normally she ignores me unless it's to talk about a boy." Jade went to sit on my bed.

"I had no idea. This is sick. How can she do that to her own child?" She sounded disgusted.

"I don't know. She just doesn't agree with it."

"No, Cat, this is way beyond 'not agreeing.'" I sat down beside her. "This is worse. This is _neglect_." At that, I started to cry. She put her arm around my shoulders and hugged me to her, rocking me.

"Oh, Cat. Shhhh. It's going to be all right. I'm here, okay? She can't do anything while I'm here." She placed a light kiss to my hair and I began to calm down.

"You really think so?" I asked once I could speak.

"Absolutely. I might even say a few things…"

"No. You can't." I interrupted her immediately. Apparently I looked frantic, because she said, "fine, if you don't want me to, I won't. But I _will_ be thinking it." I hugged her tight and she wrapped her arms around me. When I pulled away, I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Effectively making her blush again.

"Ugh, Cat!" She groaned, "What did I tell you about the blushing thing?"

"I don't care. It's funny, so I'm going to keep doing it."

"Ha! And to think I thought you were sweet!" She said, disbelieving.

"Oh, I'm anything but." My voice dropped low and she lifted an eyebrow. Then, just to mess with her, I leapt up and walked to the bathroom. I could hear her yell 'You're evil!' through the door and I smiled. After touching up my make up since I'd been crying, I left the bathroom only to find that Jade wasn't there. I looked around and when I still didn't see her, I walked toward my bed.

"Gotcha!" She screamed as she tackled me from behind into the pink plush pillows. I was being tickled like nobody's business. In between giggle fits I finally got out, "And you say I'm evil?"

"Well, I never said _I_ wasn't" she replied, grinning evilly as I got another round of tickling.

"Okay! Okay!" I yelled, pushing at her arms, "I can't breathe! I'm gonna die!" She finally let go and we fell back on the bed breathing heavily. As we calmed down, neither of us said anything, we were just lost in our thoughts. I looked over at her and watched her eyes close and chest heave. It made me realize something. I kept thinking and looking until I finally decided to ask.

"Jade?"

"Mhmm."

"What would you do if I tried to kiss you right now?" She blinked a bunch of times and then shook her head as if to gather her thoughts.

"Uh… I would stop you and ask why."

"Oh. Okay. Just wondering."

"Why, Cat? Do you want to kiss me?" She lifted herself up on one elbow and looked down at me. I could see pure curiosity in her eyes.

"Well, kind of." I said, closing my eyes again so as to not have to look at her.

"Why's that, do you think?" She pressed. I sighed.

"I don't know, Jade." Just saying her name made me confused.

Just then my mom called us down for dinner. 'Way to pick a great time, mom.' I rolled my eyes. Jade sat up and pulled her hand down her face, wiping away her emotions. I'd seen her do it many times before a scene in one of her plays.

"Okay, we can talk later. Right now, we have to survive this dinner. Or better yet, your _mom_ has to survive this dinner. C'mon." She held her hand out for me to take. I did and she pulled us out of the room; as she did, I felt something that I hadn't felt in a long time.

My heart was beating.

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><p><strong>AN: I hope you all understood the chapter title and that it isn't about being physically beaten or beating someone in a game. Obviously, it was referring to the last line. Anyways, the big dinner scene is coming up and we get to see more of Cat's mom, squee! Not. Yeah... So, if you loved the chapter, totally let me know by _reviewing_. 'Cause that's like the only way to do anything around here. Reviews are like the drug money of the fanfiction world. To get yo fix, I need yo reviews. Plain'n simple.**


	8. She Concedes

**A/N: So I totally had this done yesterday, but I wanted more reviews before I posted it. I have to honestly say I adore this chapter. Oh, and I had already written it when a reviewer gave me the idea to make Jade blow a gasket during the dinner. I'm kind of thankful I didn't go there, 'cause then the rest of the chapter probably wouldn't have happened. Either way, I hope you thoroughly enjoy this chapter as much as I do.**

**p.s. Concedes means 'to give in.'**

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><p>Letting go of my hand before we came into view of my mother, Jade picked up her cue.<p>

"That smells great, Mrs. V." she said with more enthusiasm than was necessary. My mom didn't notice, of course.

"Why, thank you Jade! That's sweet of you to say." My mom placed a hand over her heart like she was humbled by the compliment. I mentally gagged.

"No problem; just speaking the truth." Jade replied heartily, but when my mother turned her back towards the stove, she visibly gagged. I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. She smiled and winked at me as we took our seats across from each other at my dining table.

"Your father and brother are on some 'Father/Son' camping trip for boy scouts and they won't be back for the rest of the weekend." When she spoke to me, it was easy to hear the difference in her voice. It was put on. She really didn't know how to speak to me because she never did. I had to do the same when speaking with her, as well.

"Aw, that's a shame. I don't think Jade has ever met Daddy." I looked back at Jade, "He's always away on business, you see." I fakely explained to her.

"Oh, okay. Well, I'm sure he has good reason. I'd love to meet him sometime." She said with false sweetness and sincerity. Her face looked like she was thinking 'to kick his ass' after her sentence. I gave her a warning look that said to keep it under control. She looked weary, but she smiled a small smile and nodded.

My mother turned around then and gave us our plates. We were eating pork roast with salad as the appetizer. She took her seat at the head of the table and we all made small talk, granted it was difficult small talk. I kept looking at Jade to see how she was holding up. She seemed fine, so I went back to eating small bites and not saying much.

When there was a lull in the conversation and I looked at Jade again, then back to my mother as I asked, "Jade, would you like to stay the night?" My mom's head snapped up from her salad like she'd been kicked in the face. She composed herself almost immediately, though, and replied "Honey, I don't think that's the best idea…"

"It's totally fine, Mrs. V. I don't mind. We have school in the morning, anyway. I can just drive us to meet Beck at the coffee house." She flicked her glance at me, then back to my mother. "It's where he and I always get our coffee in the mornings." She finished explaining. Improv. That's where the exercise had led us. 'Okay, I'm ready' I gave myself a pep talk.

"Beck." My mom said. "Hmm…I haven't heard much about him lately. How are you two doing?" She asked Jade.

"Oh, we're fine. Just normal teenage issues, is all." My mom nodded.

"You know, I've always thought he was very handsome. Don't you think, Cat?" She singled me out. I was prepared though. Acting is my life.

"Mom! I can't say that about Jade's boyfriend! It's not polite." I said, acting astonished that she'd ask that. She, surprisingly, kept her glower to a minimum when she replied.

"You're right. Where are my manners? I'm sorry, Jade."

"No worries. It's a friend pact. And you know what?" My mom shook her head and Jade leaned forward to whisper, "I think he's handsome, as well." That made my mom laugh and Jade grinned.

"Yeah, Mommy. So, since it's okay with Jade, can she stay?" I asked with my sweetest smile.

"I suppose there's nothing wrong with it." When Jade looked down at her food, my mom took the opportunity to glare at me, obviously pointing out that there was something wrong with _me_.

We finished our dinner not long after and Jade offered to help me clean up. We made our way to the sink with all the dirty dishes. When my mom left the kitchen to watch TV in the living room, Jade visibly relaxed.

"As much as I love acting, I don't think I could do that every day." She whispered as I handed her a plate to dry.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I've done it for years. Every where. With everyone." I whispered back. She stopped what she was doing and gave me a meaningful look.

"You know you don't have to hide anymore. Not with me. You're safe with me. I swear it." I had tears in my eyes, but I wiped them away with the back of my soapy hand.

"I know, Jade. I do. It's just hard to get used to being me. I don't even know who I am anymore." Her face fell.

"I know who you are, Cat." She said quietly.

"How's it coming in here, girls?" My mom decided to interrupt our obviously very private conversation with her delusion of grandeur.

"We just finished, Mrs. V." Jade answered before I could blow a gasket. I composed myself and said, "We're about to go upstairs and watch Little Mermaid."

"Okay, darlings. Tell me if you need anything."

"We will, Mrs. V."

Once we finally made it to my room and out of the clutches of my mother, I locked the door and collapsed face down on my bed.

"I huh mu moffer." I said, my voice muffled by the comforter. Jade laughed.

"What was that, Cat? I couldn't quite understand you there." She sat next my head and began stroking my hair.

"I hate my mother." I said as turned over onto my back, my head ending up in Jade's lap somehow.

"I know. I do too, but there's nothing you can do about it for now. Just don't worry while I'm here, okay?" She asked, continuing to stroke my hair.

"Okay… What were you going to say in the kitchen earlier before my mom interrupted you?" I asked curiously.

"Will you actually listen this time?" She asked incredulously.

"Hey, I make no promises!" I said laughing.

"Okay, well I meant it when I said I know who you are. You're a very brave, very kind, very funny, very scared girl who likes ice cream and Disney movies. And girls." She added that last part as an afterthought.

"Is that all I am?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"Not at all, sweetie. That's all I know right now." She said, "And I can't wait to find out the rest. It'll be like solving a mystery." She smiled down at me and it hit me that this girl loves me. She'll always be there for me. I sat up quickly with that realization.

"What's wrong?" She asked with concern in her eyes. That's what did it, that concern. I broke.

I leaned forward quickly and pressed my lips to Jade's. She seemed frozen, but I kept kissing her anyway. Almost like she came to life, she fervently returned the kiss. My hand came to rest on the back of her neck while hers took its place on my waist. After what seemed like hours, but was really only a few seconds, I pulled away.

"You didn't stop me and ask why." I stated with a smile tugging at my lips.

"Yeah, well. What can I say? Love does crazy things to your head. Trust me." She said, laughing.

"Right. Well, fluids do crazy things to your bladder, so I'm going to pee. Don't go anywhere." I told her, pointing a finger at her.

"I wouldn't for the world." She smiled.

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><p><strong>AN: Blech, the amount of fluff I have in this is going to slowly turn me to mush. But it's okay as long I get to read/write/watch Cat&Jade. Yeah, so I hope you all liked this chapter and that I fulfilled some of your (unknown at the time) wishes. It would totally mean the world to me if you review! I have a full day ahead of me today and tomorrow, so the next chapter probably wont be written until monday. Also, I didn't have time to proof read this chapter, so if there are mistakes, you are certainly invited to point them out in a review and I'll fix them. As always, thanks for reading!**


	9. She Leaves

**A/N: Wow. This chapter is long. And full of angsty goodness. I love it. So, I want to address the reviewers that were unable to fully enjoy the first kiss because they were afraid Cat's mom would walk in. Pay attention to details! I put in "I locked the door" just so you guys wouldn't worry. Geez. I'm not mad, though, I skip to dialogue all the time. It's hard not to 'cause you're so interested in what's being said. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. It's for all of you wonderful reviewers :)**

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><p>I had only been in the bathroom a few minutes; just long enough to pee, change into my pj's, straighten the ends of my hair, and put fresh lip-gloss on. When I walked out of the bathroom, my room was dark except for the blue light emanating from my television screen. When I looked closer, the white castle and the Disney emblem were visible, as well. I walked over to my bed and sat down. Not going to lie, I was a tad confused. But before I could even worry myself about where Jade was, the girl in question walked through the doorway holding two glasses of lemonade.<p>

"Those are for us?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. Reaching behind her, she closed the door with her foot.

"Of course. Who else would the second drink be for?"

"Mr. Fluffles?" I asked innocently, pouting and holding up a stuffed unicorn against my cheek.

"You are too cute." She said, setting the drinks down on the nightstand and climbing in bed. "Ready to watch Little Mermaid?"

"Yes!" I said excitedly.

"Thought so. Let's get this show on the road." She started to reach for the remote on the night stand, but I beat her to it. Reaching over her and leaning into her, I said, "I got it, Jade," and smiled at her. She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. I just smirked. Once I hit play, we settled down, which means my head ended up on her shoulder.

The movie wasn't very far along before I got a little bored. Yeah, I love Disney movies, but I had seen the Little Mermaid so many times. I decided to get a bit… daring, so I sat up a bit and reached across her again. Once, I had gotten ahold of my drink, I took a sip and stole a glance at Jade over the rim of my glass. She was looking at me funny, like with a serious expression on her face. When I was done, I licked and smacked my lips.

"Wouldn't want to let them get warm, now, would we?" I asked, reaching over to set the drink back on the table. When I pulled my hand back, she grabbed my wrist, holding it in place for a moment. She was still looking at me with those eyes. And those eyes that said something I couldn't figure out, for once. Then Jade was kissing me. She took my hand and moved it behind her neck. Her thumb stroked my cheek while her fingers were on my neck, playing with the baby hairs there. The kiss started off slow and deliberate, but intensified when her tongue ran its way across my bottom lip. I opened my mouth to let her in for the first time. It felt amazing and intimate and I loved it. I never wanted to stop.

I rolled over onto her, straddling her, never breaking the kiss in the process. Instantly she stiffened, only to resume kissing me half a second later. I must have surprised her. After a moment, she pulled back, taking my bottom lip in her teeth as she went.

"I never knew you were like this, Cat." Jade said breathlessly.

"Well, you did say you wanted to solve me. So, here I am. Figure me out." My eyes smoldered into hers and she pulled me back in to continue making out with me. My hand moved to the place where her neck and collarbone met, the other was next to her head to hold me up, while hers rested on my hips. It was amazing. I knew I wasn't supposed to, but I opened my eyes a couple of times to see what she looked like lost in passion. Her face was peaceful, but also kind of controlled and concentrated. She was perfect.

My kisses diverted from her lips, then, moving down her jaw to her neck, where I nipped at the soft, beating skin I found there. I moved back up to the spot under her ear and she let out a low moan. I felt it vibrate through her throat and into my mouth. I smiled into her skin, then scraped my teeth along her earlobe before kissing my way back down to her collarbone. My fingers slipped under her neckline, stretching it to give me more skin to kiss. Her hands were moving all along my back now and her head was arched away from me. I decided to bite down hard on her collarbone, making Jade hum with pleasure.

At that precise moment, it all fell apart.

"Girls! I made you cookies!" My mom yelled through the door. I leapt so far across the room, so fast, that I thought I had flown or something. Jade's face was flushed, as was mine, and I could only thank Walt Disney for making the Little Mermaid so blue to cancel out our blushes. I took a deep breath through my nose as my mom walked in. It smelled like vanilla, like Jade. I half smiled at that before I remembered why I was on the floor.

"Cat? What are you doing? Get up from down there." My mom said it like a _normal_ mother would.

"I was looking for Jade's earring, mommy." I improvised. I sent Jade a quick glance while my mom was still looking at me. She got the message and pulled out an earring and quickly slid it under the comforter.

"Okay, honey. But it's dark and you're never going to find it. You can look again in the morning." God, I was getting sick of this 'I'm a good mother' business and from the scowl on Jade's face, she was too. "I'll just leave these here while you finish the movie. Then you kids need to get some sleep." We agreed and she walked out of the room. Both of us let out a long breath.

"Well, that went better than I expected." I said relieved as I walked back over to my bed.

"God, I don't think I've ever wanted to _kill_ someone so badly."

"Woah. Even more than Tori?" This was huge.

"Yes, even more than Vega. And that's saying something. Can I kill her? Please?" She begged.

"No you can't kill my mother! She made us cookies." I said jokingly. I knew she only made them to look good. Apparently Jade didn't think it was funny.

"I'm not kidding. She royally pisses me off." Her face was clouding over and I knew she was being serious. Deadly serious.

"Okay, Jade. Calm down." I leaned over and kissed her, hoping that would work. "Let's just finish the movie, okay?" She deflated and agreed with me. It didn't take long till we were…distracted again. We lay there, lazily kissing for God knows how long. The movie ended, but we didn't notice. The only thing that gave it away was the blue light cast over Jade's face when I peeked at her. I was so wrapped up in kissing her that I also didn't notice when my door creaked open.

"What the _hell_ is going on!" my mom shouted from the doorway, the two glasses of milk in her hands sloshing around violently. I tried to jump off again, but Jade held onto me. She looked in my eyes to tell me that this was it. I pulled back slowly giving Jade room to see my mother.

"What's it look like?" Jade said with a sneer. My mom's jaw dropped, as well as both glasses of milk she'd been holding. She had never been spoken to that way.

"This is ridiculous. Cat, get over here _now_." She said, pointing to the spot on the carpet where the milk was spilling out on. Jade gave me a reassuring glance.

"No, I'm fine here, thanks." I said giving her a fake smile as I turned back to Jade. I even kissed her again. It felt good to be free.

"Caterina Valentine, I will not stand for this. Obey me, I am your mother." That's when Jade snapped. She pushed me off and was standing within seconds.

"You won't stand for this? Really? She's obeyed you all her life even when it left her completely miserable. And you didn't give a shit. She has never been happy and is just _barely_ opening up to me. You may be her parent by blood, but you are certainly no _mother_. You're a disgrace." Jade was spitting venom by this point, so I got up to comfort her. My mom's glare shot to me when I started moving.

"You talk about disgrace? _That_ is a disgrace. I can't believe that I birthed such a thing. She is not even my child." She screamed pointing at me. I was then hiding behind Jade for emotional protection.

"I honestly can't believe you would treat your own flesh and blood that way." Jade said shaking her head. "It goes against nature."

"_I_ go against nature? Do you even know what you're doing? It's an _abomination_." My mom sounded the last word out to make sure we understood it. That really got to me. She can say all she wants about me, but she will not talk about Jade like that. So, I stepped around my protection and towards my tormenter.

"There's nothing wrong with Jade, or me, for that matter. We do what our hearts and minds tell us to do. I've lived without you for years, and I certainly don't need you screwing up the life _I've_ built alone." By then, I was only a couple feet away from my mother. She looked stunned that I was actually standing up for myself, but it passed in half a second. Before I knew what happened, I was sideways on the floor with my mother staring down at me.

"How _dare_ you speak to me that way?" She spat at me. The next thing I knew, Jade flew over me and shoved my mom all the way into the hallway. I couldn't see either of them then and I realized that was a bad thing, so I got up and followed to make sure Jade wouldn't be charged for murder. When I got there, I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Don't." Smack "You." Smack "Ever." Smack "Hit." Smack "Her." Smack "Again." Back hand.

Well, damn. I kind of didn't want her to stop, but I came to my senses and pulled on Jade's sleeve.

"Jade, we need to go." She finally looked me, her chest heaving, and I saw the crazy in her eyes subside and turn soft for me.

"Okay, let's get you some clothes." We went back in my room and got just about every article of clothing in sight and I pulled my pink duffle bag from under my bed to put everything in. I was stuffing when Jade came over and placed the Little Mermaid on top of the pile. I looked up and she smiled at me, placing a kiss on my forehead.

When we left my room, we stepped over my mom's groaning, nearly unconscious, form. Jade kicked her for good measure, but I pretended I didn't see it. We ran down the stairs and were out of my house within seconds. I hit the cool night air, with Jade's warm hand in mine, a duffel bag over my shoulder, and I never looked back.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so I want to tell xHeSaidSheSaidx specifically that you were so darn close that it's ridiculous. Even though you thought all that stuff was going to happen in the last chapter, this is what my plan was for this chapter, verbatim "**Plan: Jade has Little Mermaid ready with drinks when Cat gets out. Accidently left door unlocked, they make out and Mom walks in. Shit hits the fan.**" Legit. And that was before your review, too. Scary isn't it? Anyways, to all my readers and reviewers, please tell me what you think. I love to know. Even if it's criticism. Also, this isn't the end, if you're worried.**


	10. She Finds

**A/N: I'm so sorry for being an awful author and not updating this for over a week. I feel horrible about it. At my college we have literally an orientation WEEK, so my time has been otherwise occupied. I finished this night before last, but the internet in my dorm sucks. Again, I sincerely apologize. I also want to thank those readers who messaged me asking if I was okay/alive. It means a lot, even though I know you only like me for my story. It's okay, though. I'll take it. Oh, and this is technically the last chapter, but I have an epilogue in mind. So, yeah, enjoy!**

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><p><em>(Jade's POV)<em>

Morning finds us sitting on a bench in the middle of a park. Well, I'm sitting; Cat's sleeping in my lap, still. She may be light, but her head weighs a _ton_. My legs have been numb for a couple of hours, but I'm not complaining. I have nice, soft hair to run my hands through; who would complain? Certainly not me. I've wanted this far too long to be worried about my stupid blood circulation. Speaking of wanting, she is so damn beautiful, especially asleep and helpless, that it makes me want to go fight dragons, or some clichéd shit like that, just to protect her. She's so fragile in this new part of her that it scares me some times. But I'd never tell her that. I have to be strong for her. Even if it means beating up her asshole of a mother.

After we left last night, she seemed freer than before, less burdened. I took that as a good thing, so I asked her if she wanted to walk around the park with me, to which she of course said yes. We ended up having lapped the park four times before our adrenaline slowed down. She crashed almost immediately after; thankfully we were near this bench. She fell onto my lap and was out in seconds. We've been here ever since. I still haven't slept 'cause I have her bag to look out for. Not to mention two girls sleeping on a park bench is like an invitation to the crazies. I mean, who wants a neon sign saying, "Hey, we're unconscious! Come rape us and steal our stuff!" Not me. Anyway, we talked about what was going to happen since she obviously couldn't go back to her house. I told her my house was open any time and she said, "I don't want to be a burden, so no." She's homeless and she doesn't want to 'burden' me? She's insane; I would positively love to have her with me constantly. Not to sound sappy, but, I do. I thought I liked the Cat before her, the fake one, but this one? The _real_ Cat? She's a treasure. She's still like the old one, kind of a blonde and candy obsessed, but she has a seriously smart mind. While we talked, she told me theories about things that I'd never even heard of. I asked her when she came up with all that and she answered, "I had to do something during the time I ignored my homework. Painting my nails only takes up so much time." I instantly felt bad for bringing up bad memories, but she assured me that she's used to it. I just can't imagine how much will power it takes to act for _years_. It blows my mind. She's the strongest person I know, definitely stronger than me.

I look down at her peaceful face, and I have the urge to kiss her, so I do. Her eyelids flutter open at the quick kiss on her lips. Shit. I didn't mean to wake her up. I don't want her to have to face reality just yet. "Shhh. Go back sleep, sweetie. You're safe." I whisper into her hair. She looks up at me with groggy eyes.

"It's okay, Jade," she says. "I've slept long enough. Did you sleep at all?" She asks, running her thumb over the sagging skin underneath my eye. I must look awful. I shake my head to answer and when I see the question in her eyes, I decide to elaborate.

"I didn't want someone to attack us and steal your stuff." I say sheepishly. Since when was I chivalrous? Cat brings out all kinds of side of me, I suppose.

"Oh, Jade! That's so sweet of you!" she exclaims. I wince, bursting to yell out 'Never speak of it!' but I reel it in and sigh at her. She smiles knowingly.

"Yes, well, it doesn't happen often. So, in return, will you come to my house?" she looks conflicted, so I say, "I'd like to sleep in my own bed. Please?" Wait, did I just beg? Oh my God, I never beg. This is ridiculous.

"Okay, let's go." She says sitting up. I grab her bag and her hand as we proceed to walk the short distance to my house. Once inside, I see my father watching sports in on our couch and I inform him that Cat would be staying with me. He must think I only mean for the night because he doesn't object. Whatever, I'll take what I can get. We make our way up the stairs to my room and I can't help feeling a little déjà vu when we reach the top of the staircase. I can tell Cat feels it too because she hugs me closer to her, a gesture that I return. When we enter my room, I immediately turn around and lock my door. I am _not_ repeating last night. I turn around to see Cat under the covers holding her arms open for me. I smile and join her with a sigh. Her arm falls over my waist and she snuggles up to me, placing a small kiss to my shoulder.

"Goodnight, Jade. Sleep well." She whispers.

"I will. Goodnight, Cat. I love you." It's out of my mouth before I can stop it. I tense up, prepared for any reaction.

"I love you, too." She accentuates the statement with another kiss to my shoulder and tightening her hold on my waist. I relax and smile, thinking 'she loves me' over and over. And that is the wonderful thought I fall asleep to, happy and content.

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><p><strong>AN: Again, this is the last chapter, but there is an epilogue in the making. Might take some time, though, so just consider this the ending. Also, I'm not going to apologize for the length of this chapter. It wasn't writers block that made it so, it was just how The Hider needed to end. By the way, did any of you catch the poem/rhyme thing I was doing with the chapter titles? You know, the first and last chapters rhyme and all the one's in between rhyme. I thought it was clever. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Jade's POV. I always like her side best so I hope I did both characters justice. I'm sad this is ending, but it feels right. Please review and tell me how much you loved this story and don't want it to end. Please? One last review? For Cade? They thank you.**


	11. Epilogue  They Love

**A/N: I finally decided to finish this; I hope you're happy with it. I took forever to figure out whether or not to add/write a mature love scene for this. Thankfully, I have amazing reviewers and I dedicate this to the one who got me over the hump, xXHeSaidSheSaidXx. I really would have never done it without your help and push, thank you! This is twice as long as the other chapters and changes back to Cat's POV in the middle just 'cause I discovered I like the challenge of writing her. Enjoy the last installment of The Hider! I hope it meets your standards!**

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><p><em>Five Months Later<em>

"We did it!" Cat exclaimed as we strolled hand in hand down the courthouse steps.

"No, Cat. That was all you; _you_ did it. I'm so proud of you." I brought her hand up to my mouth and kissed the back of it. "You're one of the bravest people I know." She smiled at me with a brightness about her that I'd only seen a few times. She was truly happy.

"Jade…?" She asked hesitantly.

"Hmm?"

"This means I'm free, right?" She asked, seeking comfort. I looked up at her slowly and smiled.

"Yes, love. You are absolutely free. That's what getting emancipated does." I pulled her into a tight side-hug while we were walking.

"Took long enough." Cat huffed, surprising me. I still have my moments when I forget she's not a complete airhead.

"I couldn't agree more. Are we heading home?" I ask.

"Home. Yes, home… with you." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It has a nice ring to it." I smiled.

"It sure does. It's our home, now, I like the sound of _that_."

Once we got back to the house, Cat was all over the place, being happy and bubbly. It would have made me vomit had it been anyone else but _her_. I just sat back and laughed when she did something goofy. I was glad she felt so good. Actually she was being fucking adorable and I couldn't take it any longer. I just _had_ to kiss her.

The next time she flitted by me, I reached out and snagged her by the waist with one hand. I pulled her onto me and cut off whatever she was saying with a kiss. She squeaked a little in surprise, but then she recovered quickly and began kissing me back. My hands made their way to the small expanse of skin exposed by her tank top riding up. Hers were lost somewhere in my hair. God, did I love dominant Cat. She was making my stomach tighten just by kissing me. Eventually, we loosened up and I was able to lay us down on the couch. Then she moved to my neck. Well, the spot underneath my ear, specifically. She had discovered early on in our relationship that it turned me on faster than anything else. I could see where this was leading.

"_God_, Cat! Why? You're killing me." I ashamedly pleaded, attempting to pull my neck far away from her mouth. That didn't work because then she giggled and moved her mouth lower, down to the neckline of my V-neck. She kept kissing and sucking and biting her way lower until she couldn't stretch my shirt any further. Cat looked up at me then, looked me full in the eyes and I saw the dark hunger there, an image that I'm sure my own eyes mirrored. When we stared intently at each other for another couple of seconds, she reached down to the hem of my shirt. I realized she was asking permission, so I nodded my head vigorously. She all but ripped it up over my head, then.

I ran a hand through my hair, both because the room was getting hot and _she_ was getting hot. She shed her jacket quickly, leaving her in her white tank top. When she leaned back in and her crimson hair draped over me. I thought I was going to die. I kissed her with as much passion as I could muster while internally falling apart at the seams. Every time she moved, she sent rushes to my abdomen, but that might have been because she was laying on me. My hands were moving up her when she hit my spot again. I threw my head back and my nails clawed their way down her back. She let out the most primal sound into my neck. At that, everything exploded behind my eyes and I _knew_ I had to have her, as soon as possible.

I sat up and grabbed her under her thighs, attempting to pick her up and carry her to my bedroom, while still kissing her.

"Jade," She said breathlessly through kisses. "We aren't going to make it." She sounded like she needed it now, too, so we definitely weren't going to make it up any stairs.

"Dad's room." I managed to rush out between bites on her neck.

"When's he…Jesus... coming home?" She asked while I sucked on her collarbone.

"Tomorrow." I said quickly and started carrying her in that direction.

"Good." She said with a smile into my cheek and we laughed until we got in the room. She hooked the door with her foot and slammed it closed behind us, which was impressive since I was carrying her. I walked to the side of the bed and laid her down then crawled on top of her. We began kissing feverishly and it got steamy pretty quickly, so I reached down and started pulling up her tank top slowly, kissing my way up from her navel as I went until it was off. Then I reached around and unclasped her black lace bra. She propped herself back on one arm as she let me see her body.

My mouth flopped with unformed words, my eyes wide; she smirked at me.

"Like what you see?" she said flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes.

"You're absolutely breathtaking." She reached up with her free hand and cupped my cheek and smiled at me. But, as sweet as the moment was, passion rose again and I pushed her back down onto the bed. I took her hands and pinned them above her head with one of mine. The other was roaming over the new territory of her bare torso, smooth skin I had never seen before. She was enjoying it, apparently, because the second my palm ran over her breast, her body shook and her hips bucked upwards into mine. I found this fascinating, so I did it again experimentally and ended with the same results. This time, though, my leg fell in between hers, and she stopped kissing me to throw her head back.

"Jade!" She moaned, the sound muffled by the comforter she just buried her face in.

I leaned down and whispered hotly in her ear, "You like that, Cat?" She nodded, which was about the only thing she could do since I was nibbling on her earlobe. "Well, I always give my lady what she wants." I dropped my knee in between hers again began moving my hips into her. Her breathing became erratic and loud in my ear. I freed her hands from above us and moved mine to her hair. She, somehow, reached around me to discard me of my bra. Skin on skin felt amazing. It made me crave more. I wanted to feel all of her.

I stopped my movements, to her dismay, but then slid down our bodies to remove her ridiculously short denim shorts, which ended up across the room somewhere. I did the same with my own, then fell back into motion. I could feel her wetness against my thigh, soaked through, at this point.

I cupped her cheek for a second and kissed her deeply, letting my hand slide down her torso, from her shoulder to the waistband of her underwear. I pull back for a second to ask confirmation.

"Jade, I swear, if you don't make love to me _right now_, I am going to _kill_ you." Cat said through gritted teeth and closed eyes.

"Cat, look at me." She unwillingly opened her chocolate eyes. "I love you." She calmed a bit at that.

"I love you, too."

A moment later, that hungry glint in her eye returned, and I knew we had both waited much too long for this to waste anymore time. My hand dove down, pushing the silky fabric aside. I heard her draw in a shaky breath as I first ran a single finger over her, trying to stop my own hands from shaking. I'd never done anything like this before with another girl; this was brand new territory for me. I didn't want her to think I didn't know what I was doing, so I somehow mustered up the confidence to let myself run my thumb over her soft nub, and by the way her breaths grew sharper and her chest began heaving as I quickened the pace of each stroke, I knew I must be doing something right.

She progressively grew louder as I rubbed fast circles on her hard bundle of nerves. I liked what I was hearing, so I decided to push a little. I slowly entered my finger all the way into her and began sliding in and out, an easy task since she was already so turned on. I moaned softly at the thought. I made her this way. She's like this for me. I had finally reached my normal level of confidence and knew full well what to do. I brought my lips from their place on her neck and moved down to her breast. I heard a loud intake of breath when I took her stiff peak into my mouth and another when I swirled my tongue around it. Her gasps became regular as I continued. When I realized that she wouldn't get anywhere further if I kept doing just this, I took it up a notch.

"Cat, baby, this might hurt a little, okay? But it'll feel better in a minute." I whispered into her ear. I wondered if she even heard me. Either way, I still entered a second finger into her. It was tight, but I could manage. She didn't seem to mind the pain, if it hurt at all. But she sure responded. Her body was tightening up and I could feel that she was close.

I was growing tired; I didn't realize how much effort this took. I somehow willed myself to go faster and right as I curled my fingers, her back arched into my body and her mouth formed an 'O.'

"Ohhh, Jade!" she screamed, turning her head to the side and burying in the pillow. I felt her walls tense and release around me and I knew she had climaxed. I kept pumping slowly to bring her down gently and eventually she relaxed in my arms. Smiling, I leaned down to kiss her currently unresponsive lips. Then she realized what was happening and she kissed me back weakly. I pulled back to find her lazily smiling at me. I felt amazing! I can't imagine what _she_ must have been feeling. For once in her life, she seemed speechless.

"Oh, that was _fantastic_! I felt so much! And everywhere! It was tingly and hot and ugh, soo good!" So much for being speechless. I laughed softly at how Cat-like she was even after sex.

"Shhh, babe. I know. I'm glad I made you feel good. That's what I'm here for." I closed my eyes smiled for the millionth time that night.

"I want to do that for you, Jadey, but I don't know how." Cat pouted. How she goes from one emotion to another so quickly still fascinates me.

"It's okay, Cat, truthfully, I didn't know what I was doing, but we can save it for another night. We have plenty ahead of us. Plus, I'm perfectly happy making you happy. I love you." When I open my eyes she's grinning like an idiot, as well.

"I love you, too." I felt her snuggle up to me, her face in my shoulder. I turned my head to give her a final kiss to her temple.

"Goodnight, Cat." I whispered into her hair.

"Goodnight." I hear the tired, muffled reply. She must be spent. I sighed, finally content with my life. She's perfect and she's mine.

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><p>I woke up to a ray of light in my eyes from the window. I blinked a few times and started to stretch out. I became aware of a warm body next to me and figured it had to be Jade and that I should let her sleep. I realized my body was sticky and cool and the events of the night hit me.<p>

"Ohh!" I exclaimed, forgetting Jade was trying to sleep. She stirred at this and opened her eyes slowly and yawned into the back of her hand.

"Yes, Cat. It did happen. No, Cat. It wasn't a dream." She said, anticipating my questions. This is why I love her. I snuggled up to her even tighter and placed a small kiss to her neck.

"We have to get up, Jade. Your dad will be home soon." I sighed.

"I don't want to move. I'm too comfortable." I was trying to be responsible for once, but she was making it difficult. I decided to be the one that moved, taking the covers with me, leaving her blindly clutching for warmth.

"Come on, baby. I'll give it back if you get up." She had her eyes closed as she sat up and attempted to get out of the bed. Still blind, of course she stumbled, but I caught her and wrapped her up. I knew she wasn't a morning person. I got her to the couch and left her to go get some clothes for us. I dressed in Jade's room since I knew getting dressed with her would probably lead to other things, and I brought down a pile of clothes for her to pick from. She was still sleeping when I got back, so I leaned down and kissed her hard, hoping to wake her up more permanently. It worked because she responded quickly. I pulled back and handed her the clothes.

She chose and got dressed in a blur, realizing we were kind of in a hurry. We threw the sheets in the wash and put new one's on, then picked up our scattered clothes and tossed them into Jade's hamper all within fifteen minutes. It was a feat to be proud of. Back when we were working, I noticed how she smelt. I mentioned it to Jade and she suggested showers, to avoid suspicion. So, we did. Separately. Unfortunately.

We were lounging on the couch and engrossed in Dirty Jobs when her father walked in the door. He waved and greeted us, but he was tired so he walked straight to his room and crashed.

Jade and I shared a sly smile, knowing what had happened in that very bed not hours before.

"Hey, Cat," she whispered. "Guess what."

"What?" I asked excitedly.

"I love you."

"Gosh, when did you get so sappy?" I false complained. I love when Jade does this stuff out of the blue.

"Hey, enjoy it. It's only for you." She said, playfully smacking my arm.

"I will. Forever."

"Oh, look. Now who's being sappy?" she joked.

"Hey! I'm not kidding!" I protested.

"I know, I know." She paused. "Forever?" She asked hesitantly.

"Forever." I replied, knowing that's exactly how long I'd want to spend with her.

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><p><strong>AN: I just realized the only other people seen in this story are Cat's mom and Jade's dad. I apologize for this, kind of. I just really wanted to focus on the progression of their relationship in the beginning and end. I also thought that Cat's mom was enough conflict for this story, plus I hate most of the random conflict that some writers ruin stories with. Like Tori. I really don't like Tori. Anyway, I'm happy to be done with this story. It was hard to write anything else with this still looming over my head like a boulder. Again, I hope you liked it. If you did or didn't like the love scene, please take the time to review and tell me so and why. I'm nervous 'cause it was my first time trying that and I still needed help. So, please, I've finally written more. Love me? The Hider loves you! :D**

**Peace, love and happiness,**

**aydenjett**


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